University Commons breaks ground, Publix and Walmart to anchor

By Katherine Boccaccio

Knoxville, Tenn. -- CHM announced that it has broken ground on Knoxville’s first urban, vertical retail complex, University Commons.

The Publix- and Walmart-anchored shopping and dining center will cover 12+ acres, with 211,000 sq. ft. of retail space and parking. Besides the two anchors, an additional 40,000 sq. ft. will be dedicated to smaller retailers and service providers once the project is completed.

The complex is intended to fill a grocery and retail void in the downtown and University areas, providing supermarket services in what is considered a federally designated “food desert.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring added convenience to the downtown and University of Tennessee area of Knoxville,” said Brian Hooper, VP real estate for Walmart.

University Commons transforms a once non-productive real estate brownfield into a developmental asset while anchoring several other major public and private development efforts in the area. Walmart and Publix are slated to open during the summer of 2014.